Couple Hopes to Make Big Splash at Harbor

Lisa and Jason Lazar are ready to dive in.

The husband-and-wife team plans to open a scuba shop this week at Oxnard’s Channel Islands Harbor. They chose the location because of tentative plans to expand facilities at the harbor to include additional restaurants, an aquarium, marinas and other visitor attractions.

Lisa Lazar said she’s come up against naysayers who argue that this may not be the best time to plunge into a business, considering the state of the economy. But she disagrees, in large part, because of the harbor’s potential.

“The City of Oxnard has proposed about 15 different things for this area. I see it as a draw for people,” she said. “There’s going to be definite growth.”

In selecting a location for the Pacific Scuba Center, the Lazars, both longtime scuba enthusiasts, had their minds set on Ventura County. The region’s obvious proximity to the ocean and the Channel Islands were ideal, Lisa Lazar said.

“We knew the business needed to be in a year-round environment,” she said. “The Channel Islands are right off the coast, 1 1/2 hours by boat. There’s great diving year-round. People will come from the San Fernando Valley, the Los Angeles area to get on a boat to go to the islands.”

As for the potential market, she said, the area has just the right demographic makeup.

“Our customers are mostly age 20 to 40. They are environmentally concerned people, generally, appreciating what nature has to offer. Scuba diving is also a good sport for those who are oriented to high technology,” she said. “These are the people who live in Ventura County.”

Lazar said scuba divers also tend to have money to spend, despite what the economy might suggest. “People I’ve talked to are working, they’re buying houses, they are taking vacations,” she said. “Our customers are those who have income for vacations and outdoor activities.”